Lithium-oxygen cells and batteries, also referred to as lithium-air cells and batteries, are ideally suited for a wide range of applications, and are characterized, among other things, by a high energy density or specific energy.
Lithium-oxygen cells include a cathode, also referred to as a positive electrode, based on oxygen and an anode, also referred to as a negative electrode, based on lithium.
During discharging of a lithium-oxygen cell, the following reactions take place at the anode and the cathode:2Li→2Li++2e−  anode:2Li++2e−+O2→Li2O2  cathode:
During charging of a lithium-oxygen cell, the following reactions take place at the anode and the cathode:2Li++2e−→2Li  anode:Li2O2→2Li++2e−+O2  cathode:
One of the first lithium-air cells, including a metallic lithium anode and an oxygen cathode, is discussed by Abraham et al. in the publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,209 A.
Jake Christensen et al. have a review of lithium-air technology in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society (159 (2) R1-R30 (2012)).
Lithium-air cells which include an ion-conducting separator diaphragm based on glass are understood to be from PolyPlus, California, United States.
In Bruce et. al. (A Reversible and Higher-Rate Li—O2 Battery; Zhangquan Peng, Stefan A. Freunberger, Yuhui Chen, Peter G. Bruce; Science Express Reports; Jul. 25, 2012; Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1223985), are discussed nanoporous gold cathodes.
Patent document DE 10 2010 033 020 A1 discusses a secondary lithium-air-battery system which includes a housing in which air that is compressed with the aid of a pump is present.
Patent document JP 2009-230981 A discusses a lithium-air battery which includes an oxygen pump that is fastened to a cover and thus forms a positive chamber which contains a closed space. The oxygen pump is capable of electrochemically pumping oxygen from the air outside the positive chamber into the positive chamber, so that, when the oxygen concentration in the positive chamber drops due to the discharging reaction, oxygen from the air may be supplied to the positive chamber via the pump.
Patent document DE 10 2010 051 964 A1 discusses a secondary lithium-air-battery system which includes a pump, with the aid of which electrolyte is pumpable from a reservoir to a cathode.